Yathit takes SuiteCRM user experience to the next level

Obsession with outstanding user experience lies at the core of our company’s culture. We researched several SuiteCRM mobile apps, but the experience of using them ended up being un-intuitive and unpleasant. Most of the apps we saw use web view based mobile framework, which is essentially a glorified web browser. Their user interface is rough and lacks fluidness. These apps tend to be out of tune with other native apps. After a careful analysis and a combination of ideas and events, we decided to propel SugarCRM experience to the next level.

During a meet-up with Google Developers Experts, we were introduced to their new mobile framework called Flutter. We have heard of Flutter a few years ago, but have not paid much attention to it. Flutter SDK was still in alpha stage in early 2018, but Google team assured us that the company is already utilizing this framework and it is ready for production. We were still very skeptical since it is a cross platform technology.

We noticed another major difference that made Flutter stand out: the app is compiled to native binary, which ensures its performance will not have limitation like other cross platform technologies. We also have to remember that app development is a relatively new field and the tools to develop high quality, responsive apps are still in their infancy. Professional third-party developers have been building Apple iOS and Android apps for less than nine years (Apple iOS SDK was released in 2008 and the Google Android SDK in 2009). These two SDKs are based on different programming languages: Objective-C and Java. When an app interacts with a platform to create widgets or access various services such as a camera or a player, we would usually create separate apps unless we utilize a cross-platform framework.

Although initially the platform was somewhat buggy and unstable, it turn out to be a perfect fit for Yathit. It came out of beta status on Google IO a little a month ago, all issues work out. We strongly believe in the open source aspect of Flutter and are convinced of its potential. It is also in line with SuiteCRM’s open source strategy and ours.

We would like to send special thanks to Google Developers Experts! They are a global network of experienced strategists, designers, developers and marketing professionals, which support startups and established companies. GDE’s in Singapore joined our team and became a critical component in our development team. Their expertise and continuous commitment to our goals accelerated the project and made the rollout of Yathit app possible!

We are committed to deliver the best experience for SuiteCRM users! Please try out our mobile app and feedback (feedback@yathit.com) what you think.